Dwight Howard, Anthony Davis, and Kevin Durant are all over 6'11", and they're all NBA players. The similarities seemingly end there. But Howard is looking to his two opponents as inspiration this summer.
According to trainer Justin Zormelo, Howard is working on becoming "his own version" of the Brow and the Durantula. The simple interpretation: he's trying to become more versatile.
"He wants to evolve into Anthony Davis, into Kevin Durant, but his own version of that," Zormelo told the Washington Post.
It may sound ridiculous, but really, Howard is just trying to catch up with the modern style of basketball. "When I came into this league," Howard told the Post, "I was playing against the Shaqs, the Alonzo Mournings, the Jermaine O'Neals and it was more so a physical—I'm going to see who's the strongest guy in the paint. It's like an arm wrestling match for the big guys. And nowadays, it's not the same game. So it's either evolve, adapt, or get left behind."
Howard is striving to make the change to his game as he joins the Washington Wizards. Last season, Howard played in 81 games for the Charlotte Hornets. He averaged 16.6 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. During the summer, Charlotte sent him to Brooklyn, and the Nets waived him.
Though he's 32, Howard still appears to have plenty to offer an NBA team—or at least plenty of athleticism left in the tank. He's out to disprove his reputation as a locker-room cancer in Washington.
